IMPORTANT Parent Information

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**MORE THAN 1000 PARENTS ATTENDED ORIENTATION LAST SUMMER

A number of you have already visited Bradley’s campus to help your student make the right college selection. Your on-campus orientation experience goes well beyond your introductory visit. At Bradley, our philosophy is that the success of students is dependent on a triadic relationship which exists between the University, parents and students. It is essential that ALL of us play a role in a student's college experience and personal development.

Parent Program Schedule

To give you an idea of material that will be covered during the Parent Orientation Program, we have created a sample Parent Schedule. This sample should not be construed as a final schedule. When you arrive on campus, you will receive a complete and up-to-date schedule that also includes times and session locations. Except for certain workshops, parents and students are involved in separate, exclusive schedules. Pre-planning may be necessary for buying textbooks together, to arrange for “who has the car” or simply to meet to compare notes. To view this sample schedule, click HERE.

Parent Accommodations

For parents attending sessions 1-12, accommodations are available in a single occupancy residence hall. If you stay in the residence hall, your bedding and a towel will be provided. Items you will need to bring include:

An extra towel
blanket
alarm clock
washcloth
shower sandals
toiletries

When packing for travel, keep in mind that parents and students will be staying in two different residence halls. Parent accommodations are not available for the final session (Aug. 21-23) due to students moving into their residence hall assignments for the fall semester. If you prefer to stay in a hotel, please checkout our list of local hotels that offer special Bradley rates.

Other Important Information

It is most important to plan your travel to arrive on campus during the registration check-in time between 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon. If you cannot arrive during that period, you should reschedule your orientation session. The reason for this necessity is that once the Program begins, all of our time becomes committed to students and parents. More importantly, if you and your student are late, you might miss some sessions that cannot be made up without considerable inconvenience to your student (e.g. placement testing, Orientation session guidelines, receiving of residence hall information and proper accommodations.)

Orientation events are casual. Please dress for your own comfort.

Air conditioning and summer heat pose real comfort-adjustment problems. Therefore, you should plan to bring a sweater or jacket to help keep you comfortable. Some of the meeting rooms are VERY COLD!!

Campus Security will not issue parking citations during the summer unless you are parked in a handicapped space or next to a fire hydrant. You may park wherever it is most convenient.

Orientation Fees

The Parent Orientation Fee of $110 per parent includes meals provided during the program, materials, and program related expenses.

The fee for residence hall accommodations for parents attending session 1-12 is $30 per parent (not per night) . This will not be the same residence hall used to house your student.
You can pay your fees on-line with your debit or credit card. We accept Visa, MasterCard or Discover.
Refund Policy: Meals, staffing and materials for Parent Orientation are ordered and scheduled well in advance. To cancel a parent reservation, either call the Center for Orientation and Advisement at 309-677-2420 or e-mail us at swalker@bradley.edu. A 72-hour cancellation notice BEFORE an assigned Orientation session begins is required for a parent refund. If a cancellation notice is received 72 hours before the assigned Orientation session begins, the total amount paid for the parent reservation, less a 5% credit card transaction fee, will be refunded. For all other cancellations, no refund will be issued.

If you have any questions or concerns, please call the Center for Orientation & Advisement at 309-677-2420.

Of all the Orientation experiences provided for parents, perhaps the most important and intangible benefit is that you become immersed in the same college environment as your student. These SHARED EXPERIENCES can help you build stronger support for your student. We look forward to working WITH you to ensure your student's personal and academic success.